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Christmas Squares:Pineapple Carrot Squares

The challenge: find a recipe for Christmas squares that are delicious and attractive, but healthy and not overly sweet. The answer: these Pineapple Carrot Squares!

I love to have a selection of goodies in the house at Christmas time to serve to guests and family.

However, all of the cookies and squares that I used to make are extremely sweet, laden with oodles of sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Now that I am trying to eat healthy foods most of the time, I find that those treats taste just too sweet. (That doesn't stop me from eating them when they are around, though - and that's why I need a selection of alternative healthy recipes!)

These squares are just what I was looking for. They are attractive enough to go on a holiday tray, but they are full of nutritious ingredients. They get gobbled up just as quickly as the other kind did, too!

Check that you have these staples at home

in the cupboard

honey

vegetable oil

vanilla

whole wheat flour

cinnamon

baking powder

baking soda

canned crushed pineapple

raisins

in the fridge or freezer

eggs

milk

Buy these fresh ingredients

carrots

Get out your equipment

Essential

a large mixing bowl

a medium-sized bowl

measuring cups and spoons

a mixing spoon

a rectangular baking pan

Nice to have but not necessary

a silicone spatula for scraping the bowl

a thin metal spatula for removing the squares from the pan

The recipe

1/4 cup/60 mL honey

1 Tbsp/15 mL oil

1 tsp/5 mL vanilla

1 egg

1 cup/250 mL whole wheat flour

1 tsp/5 mL cinnamon

1 tsp/5 mL baking powder

1 tsp/5 mL baking soda

1 cup/250 mL finely grated carrot

2/3 cup/150 mL drained crushed unsweetened pineapple

1/2 cup/125 mL raisins

1/4 cup/60 mL milk

Preheat oven to 350F/180C.

Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch (32 x 22 cm) baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the honey, oil, vanilla and egg. Stir.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.

Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Stir to mix well.

Add the carrots, pineapple, raisins and milk. Mix well.

Pour the batter into the pan. Spread it out evenly.

Bake until the top is light brown (about 25 minutes).

Let cool slightly.

Cut into squares.

Substitutions

Use soymilk or another non-dairy milk.

Use maple syrup instead of honey.

Use spelt flour or another flour instead of whole wheat.

Ideas for making this recipe your own

Try substituting different dried fruits for the raisins. (If you use larger fruits like dried apricots, use kitchen shears to cut them into smaller pieces.)

Tips

Save the leftover pineapple juice to use in smoothies - or just drink it!

If you enjoy this recipe for Christmas squares , you may also like these other recipes: